The idea of working from home is not a new one. People have been working from home for years. But what is new is the growing number of people who are taking this opportunity to do so. Statistics on remote workers reveal that more than 4.7 million people work remotely at least half the time in the United States. With so many people working remotely, a big question a lot of people wonder is just how genuine are work from home jobs?
Working from home is so popular that four in ten Americans who currently work from home at least one day a week would seek another job if employers require a full return to business premises.
A great part about working from home is that the job is completely yours. You can work on it at your own pace without having a manager looking over your shoulder. It’s a great option for people who have a family and want to spend more time with them.
Typically, the idea of working from home is thought of as a dream job. However, the reality is that there are negatives to working from home. Feelings of isolation, a lack of support from management and failing to manage time effectively are all issues experienced by people who spend large portions of their working week at home.
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What is a Work From Home Job?
A work from home job is just like any other job, it has responsibilities, it has a purpose, it sits within an organisations structure and pays employees for their time. The difference is that instead of going into an office or other physical place of work, you conduct all of your work from home via the internet.
Some people are attracted to this type of job because it can provide them with more flexibility than a traditional office job. They may be able to set their own hours and have more time for personal commitments or other activities. Others also choose to use this freedom to travel and work remotely from wherever they are, as long as they can get a wi-fi connection.
What are genuine work from home jobs?
Most office-based jobs that rely on a computer, internet connection and phone can be made into a work from home job.
These can cover many functions and roles within a business from virtually any industry. Examples of jobs you could do from home include:
- Finance Assistant
- Marketing Executive
- Customer Services Operative
- Virtual Receptionist
- Copywriter
- Human Resources Officer
- Telesales
As our home internet connections continue to get faster and modern cloud-based web applications are embraced by industries, our ability to work from home is becoming easier all the time.
Some job roles simply cannot be made into work from home jobs because they demand your physical presence in the place of work for things such as talking to visiting customers or clients and operating machinery. Some jobs however offer a hybrid model of working where on the days your physical presence isn’t required, you are able to work from home.
Can we trust work from home jobs?
When it comes to working from home jobs, you should be careful and do your research before you sign up for anything. The internet is full of scams and it is important that you don’t fall for them.
Here are a few basic tips to help you avoid scams:
– Research the company and make sure they look reputable and are complaints or negative reviews about them online. Type their name into Google or check employer review websites such as Glassdoor.
– Find out if the company has any physical address, phone number, and contact information on their website. Is the physical address somewhere you could visit and meet with them face to face?
– Make sure that the company doesn’t charge any upfront fees or require payment by wire transfer or money order. Regular jobs don’t require you to pay upfront, this should be no different for jobs done from home.
Because of the nature of remote working, people are now able to secure jobs hundreds of miles away from where they live, or even jobs in other countries. You should make sure though that you are joining a reputable organisation, it is clearly defined how much you will earn and you have access to the support you need from others within the organisation.
What are the Dangers of Working From Home?
Working from home is great for a lot of people. You get to spend more time with the family, you save time and money not commuting to the office anymore and even smaller perks like using your lunch breaks more effectively by doing things taking your dog for a walk to take in some exercise and improve your physical and mental health.
However, working from home every day does have its drawbacks. One of the biggest dangers of working from home is that if you don’t have regular contact with your superiors, you can begin to feel like you are not accountable to anyone. This can lead to procrastination and low motivation.
Not having regular contact with your colleagues can result in feelings of isolation and even victimisation if others are aware of things which you are not. A good company culture realises the issues employees face when working remotely and works to address them.
Working from home also means that you are in control of your own schedule which can make it hard for you to meet deadlines if you are a person who struggles to stay organised or has a lot of distractions in the home.
This can result in you working late hours and feeling stressed when it’s time to take care of your family or do chores around the house
It is important to have a proper workstation set up when you are working from home. This not only aids productivity but your physical health. A good employer will check that you have a suitable working environment at home, just like you would in an office. Bad posture and incorrect positioning of the arms and wrists can result in injury over time.
How to Find Genuine Work From Home Jobs
There are many scams that offer work from home jobs and it is important to be aware of this. A way to avoid this is to use reputable sources online for finding jobs. Stick to the well-known job sites where it is more likely they have vetted the people who they allow to post job adverts. Try to avoid things such as dubious classified ads on social media or in newspapers.
Be on the lookout for things like badly written and vague job adverts. A professional company will advertise with a good job advert.
Some companies will use phrases like “remote working” or “work from home” in the job title, others will have it listed within the job advert, so you may need to browse. If you are looking for a job that is 100% based from home then it is reasonable to expect this to be clearly advertised.
For someone looking for a job that splits home and office working, if the job advert doesn’t mention home working, sending a polite email to enquire could help get you an answer.
Employers are becoming more aware of the need to offer remote working or a hybrid home/office solution to attract the best talent. A survey by Owl Labs found that 59% of respondents would be more likely to choose an employer who offered remote work compared to those who didn’t.
Do you already work from home or are looking to get into home working? You might be interested in our articles 6 Best Footrests for Working From Home and 6 Best Magnetic Whiteboards for Working From Home.
